In 1998, I was in Toronto for a course for work. I arrived on Halloween on a Saturday in the late afternoon. Since I was on expenses, I got a taxi to the hotel downtown, the Delta Chelsea, one of the hotels the course sponsors…Read More

In 1998, I was in Toronto for a course for work. I arrived on Halloween on a Saturday in the late afternoon. Since I was on expenses, I got a taxi to the hotel downtown, the Delta Chelsea, one of the hotels the course sponsors had on their list for special rates. It's near the subway so it will be easy to get up to North York for the classes next week.

It's a huge hotel, too. My room is on the ninth floor, a double room with a balcony overlooking the busy Yonge Street. I headed out straight away to walk down Yonge Street and poked about in the huge Eaton Centre shopping mall. At this time, the department store, Eaton's, was still open. Now it's gone and Sears has moved in to the floors that Eaton's occupied but they kept the name for the shopping centre. It's now a Toronto landmark.

After I'd browsed around there and in the Bay I was definitely hungry. The Hard Rock Cafe is nearby on Yonge and since I'd always wanted to go there, that's what I did. It was good fun, too, as all the staff were in costume! Elvira greeted me at the door and Carrie, complete with blood splatters, (from the horror movie) showed me to my table. My waitress was punk. At least, I think it was a costume! The most disconcerting sight was that of a young man in a hooded cloak over an Edvard Munsch (sp?) Scream mask serving food to tables nearby. The costume with the best "Yuck" factor was the bartender that had a real pumpkin on his head! I did see the handles of a plastic carry bag sticking out the back of his neck though, so I imagine his hair was protected!


I had big plans for Sunday. I was meeting an internet friend early and I had intentions of seeing Toronto from the sky, up the CN Tower. This we did on a clear blue November morning. It was quite an experience, especially getting up the courage to walk on the glass floor! Eek! Your head knows it will hold you but your body isn't quite so sure. After leaving there we drove around the city a bit, past some landmarks and nice old buildings in between the modern ones. We stopped in the Eglinton neighbourhood for a coffee and made another stop at Toronto's Castle Loma which was built by a turn of the 20th century industrialist. We didn't go in but we peeked through the windows and took photos.

From there it was off to a pub in North York near the Shepphard station, called the Frog and Firkin. Our numbers reached nearly two dozen by the peak, all of us friends from an online chat room for fans of Coronation Street. These are all people I had only chatted to online, never met face to face and we all got along great! Most of them had met before in the Toronto area at other Corrie get togethers though some had not.

I ended up taking the subway back to the hotel around 7 after a lovely afternoon. I picked up a few slices of pizza at the market style restaurant in the hotel for a late dinner. Monday night I met up with one of the ladies from the group the day before who worked in the posh Yorkville area of Toront near Bloor Street, also known as the Million Dollar Mile for all the designer shops there. We ate at a Swiss based restaurant called Moven pick and had a lovely chat. We Window shopped our way to the parking garage where she was parked and she drove me back to the hotel.

I headed back up to Yorkville on my own the next day after class for some more window shopping and a bit of Christmas shopping before dropping in to visit the Royal Ontario Museum. That's a very large museum in a historic old building. It's got a brand new annex as well now that wasn't there at the time. There's also a nearby ceramic and china collection in a separate building that I didn't have time to go to but which is also on my list for the future. They have great collections from various civilizations as well as lots of antiques and decor. I had a quick look at a James Audobon exhibit as well and was surprised to find out he lived in the early 1800s. I had thought he was a 20th century painter.

That was the extent of my visit to Toronto this time. I had been to Toronto once before for an afternoon but this was the first time I had seen a lot more of it, even with just a day and a few evenings to get around. It's an enormous city and growing all the time. It really is a world class city though I don't rate it as one of my favourites. Now that I've been to some other Canadian cities, I think I find Montreal a lot more vibrant. Toronto has a lot of good aspects of course and there is something for everyone there. I just don't find it has as much character overall though there are some nice little neighbourhoods to break up the monotony of big city concrete.    Close

The year is 2006 and it's mid March. The air still has that winter chill in it but at least we're not in sub-zero temps anymore. I am in Toronto to attend a seminar about travel photography that was put on by National Geographic Traveller…Read More

The year is 2006 and it's mid March. The air still has that winter chill in it but at least we're not in sub-zero temps anymore. I am in Toronto to attend a seminar about travel photography that was put on by National Geographic Traveller magazine. It's a treat for me after a rough winter.

I decided to stay at the Delta Chelsea which is convenient to downtown Toronto. Got a standard room and crashed out for the night after a late night in the rooftop bar with a friend putting the world to rest. Only I forgot to close the curtains and my room faced east. With the rising sun. Too bright at 6 a.m.! Back to bed for me!

I decided not to have the $13 family buffet breakfast in the hotel and just cherry picked a few things which ended up costing me about $20!!! Live and learn! It's too early in the morning for most places to be open but I went for a walk with my camera. There is a skating ring in front of City Hall with a few early risers on the ice. I watched them for a bit before heading up University. I came to the Textile museum and I decided that would be a good way to spend an hour or so. I got there just as it opened. It's an interesting little museum and one of the special exhibits was a bit gruesome... it was patterns all over the walls and in boxes and on tables all made from insects, mostly very large ones! Wings, beetles, moths. Kind of ick but fascinating just the same.

I walked back down to the huge mall, the Eaton Centre, to meet my friend Trish and her girls for lunch at one of the restaurants in the mall. The girls, both teenagers, were intent on some major shopping so we mostly just followed them around though poked into a few interesting stores that interested us as well. We were in there all afternoon and after a bit of a chat outdoors we parted ways.

I took a taxi further downtown as I was meeting a few more friends at Fionn McCool's, an Irish pub near the waterfront. Good food and company, not too crowded even for a Saturday night. We didn't make a late night of it and I was back to the hotel by 10.

Sunday was an overcast day but this was the day of the seminar so the weather didn't matter. It wasn't too cold at least. I had the buffet this morning and discovered that one of the ways to make it cheaper (for a hotel) is using paper plates and plastic cutlery. Nice.

The seminar was held at the Art College not far from the hotel but I got a cab because it threatened rain. It was a really interesting day. National Geographic Traveler magazine has some of the top photographers in the world. They do seminars every year in a scattering of cities, rarely in Canada and I felt it was worth the money for the weekend. They had a giant screen with photos revolving with the speakers and topics. It isn't geared to professionals, it's something that anyone with an intererest in travel photography would enjoy and it gave some great pointers how to take better pictures and even hints on how to become professional if that's what you wanted.

That evening, I went to a friend's apartment on the 22nd floor of his building for dinner with him and a couple of his friends and wow, great view from the balcony! We're all Coronation Street fans so we got caught up on today's omnibus and had a laugh.

Monday was foggy and a bit rainy. I didn't have to worry about the sun waking me up but i'd forgotten to turn off the alarm and it went off in my suitcase. Crap. Back to bed again. I didn't have a plan for the morning before heading to the airport so i headed out for a walk about 10 o'clock. It's not cold today either, in fact a bit too warm for the winter coat I was wearing. I found myself up near Ryerson University campus, not far up Yonge Street from the hotel. I walked past a couple of cathedrals and churches on, appropriately named, Church Street. There was a historic house where William Lyon Mackenzie lived but it isn't open on Mondays. The St. Lawrence Market, a buzzing hive of activity on the weekends was also closed on Monday. Drat! And by now there's not enough time to go into the Hockey Hall of Fame but that's definitely on my list for a future visit some day!

Back to the hotel to pack up, check out and get the airport bus and I'm on my way back home after an enjoyable weekend!   Close

The year was 2002. I arrived in Toronto and had arranged to meet one friend at the hotel at 3:30 (Strathcona, see other review) and we were to then travel by subway to meet another friend at the Bata Shoe museum at 3:45. I got…Read More

The year was 2002. I arrived in Toronto and had arranged to meet one friend at the hotel at 3:30 (Strathcona, see other review) and we were to then travel by subway to meet another friend at the Bata Shoe museum at 3:45. I got sorted out at the hotel, checked in and in the room before 3 and I thought I would have plenty of time to get to the Greyhound bus station to pick up a ticket for Peterborough tomorrow. Ha. It took a good 10 minutes to navigate Union Station which is not only a train station but a GO Train (commuter) station and a subway station. Two stops up and three blocks over and the queue for tickets was 30 people deep! Aggh! No way to get through all that and back to the hotel by 3:30 so i took a taxi and made it just on the dot.

Now the thing about meeting up with internet friends is that you don't always know what they look like! My friend had already arrived and must have mentioned to the concierge that she was waiting for a friend named Diane. She didn't remember my last name and felt he might have thought she was a very strange person wandering downtown hotels looking for Diane. But when I arrived, he called me and asked if was waiting for a friend. She must have described me, I guess. I don't remember knowing what she looked like or if I'd only seen a head shot of her, when I saw her she looked a bit different but it was Kathryn allright! We headed to the subway to the St. George stop where the museum was. Trish was waiting there for us. She laughed when we told her the story. She offered "You could have said to the concierge 'I don't suppose The Voice of Reason means anything to you?'" (My online nickname is 'tvor' and that's what it stands for)

We had a great time in the Shoe museum. It was really interesting and somewhere I would like to go back and see again! From there we went back downtown to the restaurant where we were meeting a few more of our gal-pals from our online chat room. Trish had chosen the Hot House Cafe on Church Street and it was a very good choice indeed! We walked back to my hotel and the transit stations since everyone had come in via subway or train. In midweek it's pretty quiet downtown as it's mostly a business district. The next day I was heading out to visit friends in Peterborough so it was a flying visit this time spent with good friends.    Close

Flying into Toronto (the airport is actually in Mississauga, but it's all one big urban sprawl) is interesting. That part of the province of Ontario along the Great Lakes is very flat and mostly rural if you approach from the north. All of a sudden,…Read More

Flying into Toronto (the airport is actually in Mississauga, but it's all one big urban sprawl) is interesting. That part of the province of Ontario along the Great Lakes is very flat and mostly rural if you approach from the north. All of a sudden, you're over civilization as you descend to the airport. There are suburban neighbourhoods dotted with bright blue pools at nearly every house. There are chunky blocks of tall buildings in the distance by the edge of Lake Ontario, downtown Toronto and more chunky blocks as you move out towards the 401 highway periodically. If you're at the right angle and on the right side of the plane you can see the slender CN Tower rise above it all in the distance as well. On the negative side, sometimes you can really see the smog like a blanket over it all. I have seen that a few times too though arriving in Toronto fairly early one morning, the glow of the sunrise lit it all to gold.

The Lester B Pearson airport is not my favourite airport nor is it most peoples'. Even though they've done some major renovations, it still tends to be rather soulless and a bit of a nightmare to find your way around. There is a skytrain that connects the two main terminals. The passport control for international arrivals is a bit like a warehouse. If you have to recheck your bags, it's just a tiny little area and then it's a long walk to the terminal where you need to catch your connecting flight. For all the renovations they've done, there's still very little shopping available behind the security checkin. There are a couple of restaurants/bars and a small number of souvenir kiosks and convenience type shops. For all that Heathrow is also a nightmare, at least there's lots of good shopping to kill the time.

To get into the city of Toronto, the airport bus is probably your best bet. There are stops at many of the major hotels downtown and one in Yorkville. You can get off at the stop at Union train station and take the subway from there. A taxi into the city will be expensive, it always is. There are several public bus systems available as well going in various directions in addition to downtown Toronto.

Once you're downtown, the subway is very easy to use. There are only two lines, one making a U-shape with the bottom of the U at Union Station right on the lake shore and one that crosses the middle of the city by Bloor Street. Toronto also has an extensive bus network and still has some streetcars as well. You can get a day pass or a weekly pass, a monthly Metropass (but any of these will cost you a little extra for a trip on an express route). All passes cover all modes of transportation on the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). Cash fare for an adult is $3.00 and you can buy 3 or 7 tokens for an adult, 5 or 10 tickets for a senior or 10 tickets for a child. The TTC's website has all the information, maps and schedules. http://www.ttc.ca/   Close

Whilst Toronto isn't as manic and busy as some major cities, it is still a built up and thriving place to be and as a result can be a little overwhelming after a while. It isn't a terrible thing though, because the city offers a…Read More

Whilst Toronto isn't as manic and busy as some major cities, it is still a built up and thriving place to be and as a result can be a little overwhelming after a while. It isn't a terrible thing though, because the city offers a number of ways and places to get away from the husle and bustle and to chill out in peaceful surroundings.

-The Beaches-

Unlike most beaches, Toronto's don't line the sea, but actually Lake Ontario. That said the lake is so expansive that sitting on the edge is like being by the sea - the water carries on into the horizon and there is nothing to see but blueness for miles. The beach area in Toronto is made up of very small pebbles so isn't everyone's idea of a beach, but it is still a lovely place to go and enjoy the sun and a good book. It is often very quiet so is very peaceful and is an enjoyable way to while away the hours. The beach is lined with a boardwalk, often occupied by roller bladers and runners, that stretches for miles. There are a number of cafes that sit at the side of the boardwalk offering snacks and much needed ice creams.

-High Park-

High Park is a huge park on the edge of the city that is easily accessible using the subway system. There are wooded areas and huge expanses of open grassy fields that are ideal for ball games and picnics. There are plenty of pretty gardens including one that features a huge maple leaf (the national emblem that features on the Canadian flag). There are plenty of benches and tables to relax at and there is a fun play park filled with swings and slides for younger visitors. The park is free to enter.

-Centre Island-

Take a ferry ride from the harbour front over to the island for just $6 return and you'll not regret it. The islands offer a lovely escape from the city with plenty to do if you want action and plenty of quiet spots if you don't. You can visit the reasonably priced Centreville theme park if rides are your thing or you can head to the far side of the island for a relax on the beach there. I'd strongly recommend that you hire a bike because it's a fabulous way to explore the island. You can peddle along the boardwalks at the edge of the Lake or you can head round to the other side of the island to get terrific views of the Toronto skyline across the harbour.

-Casa Loma-

Casa Loma is a little on the expensive side (upwards of $20 per person for admission) and the house itself, in my opinion, is OK but not great. However the Casa Loma is set in wonderful expansive gardens that are filled with little hidey holes and interesting features that provide a wonderful, peaceful place to sit and enjoy nature. Whenever I've been, I've always thought that it would be a lovely and inspirational place to write a book - maybe one day I'll do just that!

So, whilst you must enjoy the sights, sounds and smells that Downtown Toronto offers, there is always a number of highly enjoyable ways to escape the city to a more peaceful place.   Close

Toronto is an absolutely fabulous city and although it perhaps doesn't have the fame and prestige that the likes of NewYork and Washington have, it is undoubtedly a city you must visit.Toronto is located in the Canadian province of Ontario and, contrary to popular belief,…Read More

Toronto is an absolutely fabulous city and although it perhaps doesn't have the fame and prestige that the likes of NewYork and Washington have, it is undoubtedly a city you must visit.

Toronto is located in the Canadian province of Ontario and, contrary to popular belief, it is not the country's capital. That is Ottawa a slightly more understated city to the East of Toronto. Toronto is a massive sprawling metropolis with a distinctly cool and cosmopolitan vibe that attracts people from all walks of life.

There is plenty to do in Toronto and you don't have to look very hard for it, whether it's stunning views, relaxed beach, hip night clubs or gourmet food that you want, it's all here and here by the bucket load.

There isn't an abundance of big hitting sights in Toronto, but there are things that make for a fun trip none the less and here are my top five things to see and do:

1. The CN Tower was once the highest tower in the world and to this day it defines Toronto's skyline. The views from the observation deck are outstanding, especially on a clear day and there are thrills galore when you walk along the glass floor at the top.

2. Centre Island is located just across from the harbour and offers a slightly slower pace from the city centre. The island is also home to a small theme park that is much loved my children and adults alike.

3. The Eaton Centre is a shopper's paradise that sprawls over three huge floors and offers everything from high end designers to high street favourites. The shopping centre is huge and can more than accomodate for the thousands of people that visit, so it is always a pleasant way to shop.

4. The Royal Ontario Museum is a fabulous showcase of all that is great about Canada. There are some great permanent exhibits as well as wonderful temporary shows that pull in visitors from far and wide.

5. Toronto Zoo is a fun, although a tad expensive, day out. There are all the favourites as well as a number of different bears that are native to the country. The animals are well cared for and the zoo is a lovely place to see them. It is huge as well, so expect plenty of walking!

Aside from these there are a number of other things that can tempt you - try a Hippo Tour that takes you around the key sights on an amphibious bus that later heads straight into Lake Ontario and gives you a gentle cruise. The trip is a fun and informative way of getting an introduction to the city.

If you are after something to do in the evening, Toronto has everything from big box office theatre shows (we saw the Lion King which was simply amazing) to quiet little eateries for a romantic evening. For full details of what's on where, grab one of the free newspaper guides that you'll fing hanging next to the seats on the subway trains.

So whatever it is you want, you'll definitely find it in Toronto and you can't fail to have an amazing time finding it!   Close

==Getting Into The City==Most trips to Toronto will start from the city's major airport; Lester B Pearson International (airport code YYZ). It is Canada's busiest airport and is the hub for Air Canada, so you would think that it might be difficult to get around,…Read More

==Getting Into The City==

Most trips to Toronto will start from the city's major airport; Lester B Pearson International (airport code YYZ). It is Canada's busiest airport and is the hub for Air Canada, so you would think that it might be difficult to get around, but that is not the case. Once you have cleared immigration and entered the arrivals lounge, there are clear signs pointing you to the various ways of getting into the city.

Probably one of the easiest ways to get to the city is by taxi. There are hundreds of licensed taxi right outside the arrivals area, so you don't need to book and you certainly won't need to wait very long at all. It will cost you between $45 and $60 to get into down town Toronto, depending on exactly where you are staying. The taxi driver should be able to give you an exact price before you set off.

The alternative way to get to the city is via the Downtown Express bus which operates between the airport and various locations in the city, it operates for 20 hours a day, every day of the year and runs every 20 minutes during peak times and every 30 minutes off peak. It costs around $24 for a single trip and $40 for a return trip.

If you need to get between the different terminals at the airport, there is a free train called the Link that operates all day every day, so it is easy to get around. This is also quite handy if you are actually staying at one of the airport hotels.

==Getting Around The City==

Toronto is a big sprawling city, so whilst you can enjoy wandering around the individual areas on foot, you won't be able to get everywhere without more than a few blisters.

The fun way to get an introduction to the city is to try a Hippo Tour. You do a complete lap of the main tourist spots in about seventy minutes before your amphibious carriage charges straight into Lake Ontario to give you a twenty minute boat ride. It is a lot of fun and is not too expensive at around $35.

The more practical way to get around is using the subway. Unlike many major cities, Toronto's underground train system is completely easy to use and not very expensive. It works in conjuction with the bus system so one ticket (which will cost $1.50) allows you to ride the subway and the bus for as long as it takes you to get to your destination. To make it even cheaper you can buy tokens at stations in bulk, handy if you are going to be using it a lot.

The other form of transport you will use is the ferry that takes you from the harbour front over to the islands in Lake Ontario. You should definitely head over there for the views alone, however there are plenty of things to do as well. The ferry tickets cost $6.50 and the ferries operate regularly throughout the day. They operate a restricted service during the winter months, so you are better of checking before you go.   Close

Toronto has so much to offer everyone and all budgets. There's a lot to do for free if you do your research and a lot of expensive things to do and see as well. If you're in need of directions, get off the subway at…Read More

Toronto has so much to offer everyone and all budgets. There's a lot to do for free if you do your research and a lot of expensive things to do and see as well. If you're in need of directions, get off the subway at Union Station and turn left. Down the street is a tourist shop that can book trips for you, and will provide you with a downtown map for free (no need to book anything with them). The map has all major attractions highlighted well and if you want to go somewhere specific, the staff will draw directions on the map for you. Easy Peasy.

Mostly the best attractions are all downtown so easy to get to and easily accessable by subway or rail car. As with most major cities, 'City Pass' is available for about £25 but it only gives you admission to 5 top attractions. These are: Casa Loma, Toronto Zoo, CN Tower, Science Center and the Royal Ontatio Museum. Ive been to all of these and for £25 its a good price. City pass is valid for 9 days, which is a good thing because most of these things can take a full day or at least half a day. The zoo and the science center are a little more out of the way than the other attractions but easy to get to if you know where you are going.

If you are going to the Science Center and the ROM, try not to go when the kids are off school otherwise its crazy. I went to the Science Center in a school holiday (it was down the street from my house) and i could barely get to use any of the experiments. A bit of a waste of money and time really.

One of my favourite places was the Museum of Contemporary Art, its a 30 minute walk from the Eaton Center but its worth it. Admission is free but donations are very welcome. Its all a small place, but the art displayed is very original and is different from most conventional museums.

Mostly i would suggest having a random wander around downtown. You'll find a lot of quirky shops and attractions that arent always on the main maps and websites. Me and my friend Cat spent a lot of our time downtown doing this.

If you're into photography there are also some beautiful buildings to be seen that arent in the main city center. Have a walk around some of the beautiful parks in Canada, the big one downtown often has jazz musicians playing in the park throughout the summer. What can be better than sitting in the park with a picnic and some wonderful music?

I dont want to go in depth about the attractions, each deserves their own review but if you are planning a trip here make sure you do some research online first and plan where you want to go. You'll save so much time and get to see more of the real Toronto, rather than do everything touristy. I found a lot of great shops which weren't in a mall or along any of the most popular streets but I only found them because I explored a bit.

As well as the attractions, try to see a Jays or a Leafs game. Leafs tickets can be very expensive...although im not sure why because they suck but a trip to Canada wouldnt be the same without seeing a hockey game. The fights alone are worth the money. Jays tickets are super cheap if you dont mind bad seats but there are loads of big screens in the stadium to see the action up close. You can still see whats going on from some of the higher seats.

Toronto is an amazing city and one I would love to go back to some day!   Close

The Canadian is Via Rail's flagship service, the train with a number 1, which runs cross-country and (almost) cross-continent between Toronto and Vancouver. It used to be a daily service with two trains, one on each of the southern (via Calgary) and northern (via Edmonton)…Read More

The Canadian is Via Rail's flagship service, the train with a number 1, which runs cross-country and (almost) cross-continent between Toronto and Vancouver. It used to be a daily service with two trains, one on each of the southern (via Calgary) and northern (via Edmonton) routes. There are now three trains a week, covering the northern route only.

The Canadian leaves Toronto at 10pm, and this is what I wrote on the day, waiting to board the train for the first leg of our trans-Canadian journey:

"Anyway, we are ready to GO WEST. Actually, I know we have been going west (more or less) since we left Halifax, but somehow this feels like the real thing. The Canadian is supposed to be one of the greatest rail journeys in the world, and despite the fact that majority of it nowadays takes place at night it probably still remains so. Our next stop is Sioux Lookout. What does one do in Sioux Lookout? We are ready to find out."

The train journey between Toronto and Sioux Lookout takes almost thirty hours (which is quite a long time to cover the less-than-a-thousand miles between Ontario's capital and one of its westernmost towns). We are travelling in economy class, or "coach", rather than in one of the sleeper carriages that the train predominantly consists of. But there is none of the condescending attitude that you encounter on other major train journeys towards the passengers in the cheapest class (as it was for example on Australia's Indian-Pacific). In fact, once you get on the train, the somehow officious attitude that ViaRail ground staff quite consistently show changes completely. The people who run the train are helpful, friendly, down to earth and sensible, making the journey just that little bit easier.

The train consists of old (call it "classic") stainless-steel carriages. The economy car is open plan, with rows of seats in 2+2 setup on both sides of the central aisle, mostly facing towards the direction of travel. At the both ends of the carriage there are sets of four seats of which two face the opposite way, reserved for larger groups and families travelling together. We get one of those, but as the carriage is by no means full, we make ready to claim more spaces.

There is plenty of room: the seats recline quite far back, and each has an extendible footrest – the amount of legroom is pretty good in the standard seats too, and the arms-rests in between folds up so you can stretch across if the train isn't busy.

We are given pillows and blankets, and in addition to our own sleeping bags and fleeces all that makes for quite comfortable pallet, and after the initial excitement we all, somehow, sleep.

When we wake up the next day, the train has passed the industrial heartlands of eastern Ontario (it leaves Sudbury around 5am) and we are already deep into the seemingly endless landscape of the Canadian Shield. A boreal forest of pine, fir and birch stretches interminably around us, broken only by a glimpse of an occasional lake. The day is dull and grey, and the desolate stations we occasionally pass seem no more than logging or fishing camps. When we arrive in Hornepayne, the wind is howling and a freezing rain falls diagonally against our faces as we walk along the platform (i.e. a strip of hardened gravel by the track side) to stretch the legs. It's horrible. I'm loving it.

When the train departs, we go to the Dome Car, an observation carriage which has a fast-food buffet in the lower section, and a domed, glass-roofed viewing area upstairs. The food selection in the buffet confirms the Canadian fascination with processed dairy, as the sandwiches on offer are: cheese, ham and cheese, egg and cheese, and beef and cheese. I am eerily reminded of the SPAM sketch, but settle for pot noodles (or a local equivalent) and a burger.

The view from the top is similar to the view form our carriage (it's in the mountains that the Dome seat is worth it's weight in gold), but the change of indoors scenery is always welcomed. We meet people as we always do, other tourists, backpackers, people travelling for work and for family reasons. There is a woman from Sioux Lookout that can't understand why we would even think of going there (this is a bit discouraging, but we remember that the main idea was simply to break the journey). There is a guy travelling over thousand miles to meet his virtual family from Second Life. There is a girl with a son of our younger's age which is great because they can run up and down the carriage shrieking and jumping, pissing the other passengers off but giving the parents a break.

In the evening, we decide to send Mum and Daughter for the sit-down dinner (the sleeper travellers have food included, we have to pay extra 30 CAD for a three-course meal) to save money and save embarrassment in the posh company from the first class.

We order one dinner between us, but "with chef's compliments" we actually get two, which to be honest is more than we can eat, but as the food is rather lovely, at least by train restaurants' standards, we manage somehow. The cheesecake is the best I ever had in our travels in Canada, anyway.

As the day comes to the close, the rain stops and the sky clears to a deep, purplish blue, painted with golden and red streaks towards the west. The lakes gleam darkly as we – this time literally – ride into the Canadian sunset.

We arrive at one in the morning and when our hosts' friend turns up (they are not here and in addition to leaving a key for us and the flat for our use, they delegated a friend of theirs to be our contact point) and takes us to our couch, we can only crawl into the beds and sleep.
   Close

Ottawa was chosen as Canada's capital when Canada was still a British colony in 1857. This, incidentally, was a very clever decision by the Queen Victoria, carefully considered and designed to try and balance the French and British prides and placate the rivalry between Toronto…Read More

Ottawa was chosen as Canada's capital when Canada was still a British colony in 1857. This, incidentally, was a very clever decision by the Queen Victoria, carefully considered and designed to try and balance the French and British prides and placate the rivalry between Toronto and Montreal (it was only successful as it united both in derision towards Ottawa). Anyway, it was not, as some might lead you to believe, a choice based on Victoria's liking for a romanticised watercolour landscape of the town.

When Canada became a nominally autonomous federal republic in 1867, Ottawa's role as a place that brings the provinces together became even more important. The variety in Canada's provinces is fascinating, and surprising: for a country of only 30 million people, it's not a mean feat to manage both: a creation of a distinct national identity as well as celebration of regional diversity.

Canadians, apart from the Quebecois, don't really talk too much about differences between the provinces, but they exist, and are bigger than one would expect from the short history and small population (much bigger than for example in Australia): from climate to geography, accent to local regulations, ethnic background of the people to attitudes to work, life, politics and environment, Canada's provinces vary quite a lot, and Canada's history can be told in terms of adding the provinces to the federation. This is celebrated in Ottawa in many displays of provincial flags and crests, especially around the Parliament Hill.

But this city is more than just a seat of the federal government, though the administrative rather than just commercial character of Ottawa can be felt in its downtown core, where the atmosphere is less rushed and cut-throat than in Toronto or even Calgary. There is public art everywhere, a lot of it somehow connecting to the ideas of Canadian national identity and the Federation, while the population is multi-ethnic and almost as diverse as in Toronto.

Ottawa feels like a pleasant place to live, though the fact that we had a sunny weather for the two days we spent there probably influenced our impressions. But in addition to the public art and many remarkable public buildings, it has wide, open spaces, squares and parks, boulevards and promenades, and of course it has a river which is a good thing for any city to have as a focus and a breathing space.

The city has a good public transport system, with dedicated roads exclusively used by buses which makes the travel much faster, and well managed, purpose-built interchanges and stops that look more like city train stations than bus stops.

For the visitor, Ottawa has a range of attractions including, as one would expect in the capital city, cultural institutions of national importance, some of them world class.

Every visit to Ottawa should include at least some of the following :
**Parliament Hill with Canada's federal legislature, great views from the riverbank, the Centennial Flame and many monuments.
**Canadian Museum of Civilisation, which has stunning social history and anthropological displays in a magnificent building situated just across the Inter-Provincial Bridge from the Parliament Hill.
**National Gallery of Canada, with many major Old Masters, as well as great collections of Canadian, Asian and indigenous art.
**...and if you arrive in May, catch the Canadian Tulip Festival for which Ottawa is famous.

Other attractions include the Canadian War Museum, Currency Museum, Rideau Canal (with an ice-rink in the winter) and the bustle of the ByWard markets and restaurants.

Canadians often say that Ottawa is boring, but in reality it's a pleasant city to visit and a must for anybody who wants to understand the diversity of the Canadian experience.    Close